Writing instrument



July 26, 1960 B. J. CRAIG WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed D60. 1, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent WRITING INSTRUMENT Burnie 1. Craig, 1042 La Presa Drive, Pasadena, Calif.

Filed Dec. 1, 1954, Ser. No. 472,419

1 Claim. (Cl. 120-42.03)

This invention relates to a ball point pen.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved means for supporting the writing tip of a ball point pen on the pen barrel.

It has long been objected to ball point pens that writing therewith is harsh and tends to cramp the action of the writer. In nibbed pens the nib is flexible and may bend slightly when in contact with the surface being written upon and thus harshness is reduced.

The ball point pens heretofore made included a rigid ball mounted in a rigid tip with the rigid cartridge supported in, and/ or as a part of a rigid barrel. Sometimes the cartridge was supported in the barrel so that it moved slightly in writing. This caused an objectable jarring action. Sometimes the cartridge was clamped tightly in place and there was nothing to relieve the rigidity and to provide for an uncramped free writing movement. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a ball point pen which has a cushioned writing tip.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a ball point pen wherein the writing tip is mounted to move slightly within the supporting barrel and wherein resilient means is provided for supporting the writing tip to permit such slight movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball point pen having a cartridge therein and wherein means is provided to resiliently float the writing tip in the barrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball point pen having a writing tip and having a resilient collar holding the writing tip for movement in a barrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball point pen which includes a barrel and a cartridge having a writing tip thereon and wherein means is provided to resiliently support the cartridge at spaced locations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball point pen including a barrel and a cartridge having a writing tip thereon, and wherein means is provided to resiliently support the end of the cartridge which is remote from the tip.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable ball point pen which includes a barrel and a writing member and wherein novel means is provided for cushioning. the writing member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable ball point pen having a retractable writing tip which is retracted by a spring and wherein a part of the retracting spring resiliently supports the tip.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a disposable ball point pen including a tip and wherein the tip includes a member which is resiliently supported within the writing barrel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; wherein,

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view showing a ball point pen embodying features of the invention;

ice

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the point retracted; I s 1 Fig. 3 is a central sectional view showing a modification;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view showing a further modification; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the forward end of the further modification.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the invention is shown as embodied in a ball point pen which is indicated generally at 10. As shown, the pen includes a barrel 11 in which an ink carrying cartridge 12 is slidably arranged. The barrel 11 preferably consists of two parts 11a and 11b which are threaded together at 110. The barrel includes a tapering end portion 13 which has a hole 14 therein which is slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of the cartridge. The cartridge includes a reduced forwardly extending writing tip 15 which includes a writing ball 16. The cartridge, as shown, includes integral lugs 17 which are engaged by one end of a spring 18.

The barrel includes a shoulder 19 against which a resilient ring 20 engages. The ring 20 may be made of resilient rubber. The ring 20 provides resilience when w the cartridge is moved laterally. One end of the spring In the shown construction the inner end of the cartridge 12 engages a member 21 on a tip advancing and retracting device which is operated by a push button 22. Point advancing and retracting mechanism are old and form no part of the present invention. The member 21 of the advancing and retracting mechanism includes a collar 23 within which a resilient seat 24, which can be made of rubber, may be arranged. The inner end 25 of the cartridge 12 may move slightly laterally in the collar 23 and the-inner end engages the cushion 24 to provide axial resilience. The cartridge 12 is provided with lateral bleed holes 26. The cushions 20 and 24 provide a resilient mounting for the cartridge tip 15 and ball 16.

In Figs. 3 and 4 a modification is shown wherein the cushion 20 is omitted and the end portion 30 of the spring 18' is provided with sinuous, convolutions 31. The crests 32 of the convolutions engage the inner wall 33 of the barrel and the troughs 34 of the convolutions engage the outer surface of the cartridge 12' to thus cushion the writing tip.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the spring 18" engages the shoulder 14 of the barrel and the cartridge 12" has a resilient rubber O-ring 40 surrounding the tip 41. When the cartridge 12" is advanced a shoulder 42 on the cartridge resiliently clamps the O-ring against a shoulder 43 in the tip 44 of the barrel so that the writing tip is cushioned. From the foregoing description it will be apparent that in a novel and efiicient manner the objections to ball point pens which have been occasioned by loose, wobbly tip mounting, and/or by rigid clamping, tip mounting have been overcome by means of the present invention which provides a smooth continuous writing effect,

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

.A ball point pen including a barrel having a hole in one end, a cartridge slidably mounted in the barrel, said cartridge having a writing tip at one end, said tip projecting through said hole when the cartridge is advanced in the barrel, said hole being larger than said tip to permit lateral movement of the tip, said barrel having a shoulder therein, a spring surrounding said cartridge and having one end engaging said shoulder, said one end of the 2,946,311 3 ispring including sinuous, resilient portions forming References Cited in the file of this patent convolutions with the crests of the convo lutions; engaging UNITED vSTATES PATENTS the interior of the barrel and the troughs of the convoln- 2,734,484 OSulhvan Feb. 14, 1956 trons engaging the exterior of the cartridge to cushion 6 2,776,646 spatz Jam 8 1957 lateral movement of the cartridge, means on'sa idcartridge engaging the otherend of said spring, said spring FOREIGN PATENTS normally urging said cartridge rearwardly in the barrel, 630,609 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1949 and means to advance the cartridge in the barrel. 669,464 Great Britiain Apr. 2, 1952 

